Pop Culture Blog

There are two things I am reminded of pretty much every day. First, some people take life way too seriously and don’t have enough fun; second, others focus too much energy on how others should act. Those two things make watching TLC’s Best Funeral Ever an enjoyable affair for me. Why? Because on the show I see families who choose to celebrate their dearly departed by throwing for them a bash based on that person’s favorite things, without taking things too seriously. Admittedly, when watching there’s a part of me that wants to say “Oh, that’s messed up, people shouldn’t do that.” Thankfully, it is quickly followed by a “whatever,” and I’m free to sit back and enjoy the show.

And what a show it is. Best Funeral Ever, which premiered Monday, is back with a vengeance. Last time we saw the folks from Dallas’ Golden Gate Funeral home we were treated to Flintstones-sized ribs, a casket decked out as Santa Claus’ sleigh and other outrageous things. This time around, new levels of outrageousness have been reached. Here are six things that I think people will find the most scandalous.

A funeral wedding? Yes. A husband and wife who died within a year of each other were celebrated by their son in a very unusual way. How unusual? Two of the funeral home workers went on a search for a very tiny wedding dress and a very tiny tuxedo, so they could dress the two urns with the ashes of the deceased couple as bride and groom.

Golden Gate celebrates a Wedding/Funeral combo. (TLC)

Two become one… again. The funeral wedding didn’t end there, two large screens projected a bride and a groom who shared a symbolic kiss as part of the ceremony. The ashes were then combined in a single urn, sending them off as one. Romantic.

Bowling with the deceased. This one is quite literal. A family who lost their mom wanted to celebrate her love for bowling by having the ceremony at their bowling alley. And no, it wasn’t just a location thing. The casket was placed on one of the lanes with a contraption that held a bowling ball. The family then pushed the casket down the lane for a full-speed last strike.

TLC

Judy Sunday's funeral took place at a bowling alley where she had the chance for one last strike.

People dressed as eggs and bacon. So, how do you celebrate the life of someone who loved breakfast? With a full-on breakfast celebration, of course. Funeral home workers dressed as strips of bacon and fried eggs as they facilitated the family with a full on breakfast bar. To be completely honest, the pancakes served looked delicious.

TLC

People dressed as eggs, bacon and panckaes for a funeral? Nothing unsual about that.

One last “Olympic” run. The family of Olympian gold medalist Ronnie Ray Smith wanted to celebrate him as the champion he once was. So Golden Gate’s idea of a track-and-field-themed funeral quickly started taking shape. There was one problem: How do you get the deceased to win one last race? After several failed attempts, which included sliding a casket over plastic covered in oil, they found a great solution. The coffin was placed over a go-kart and off it went, winning first place against three other live contenders. A champion indeed, the coffin-kart was going so fast that it went for another full lap as quick as lightning.

TLC

An Olympic medal winner goes for one last race.

Trendard the Great. Listen, every reality show has someone that shines over the rest of the cast, and I’m thinking Best Funeral Ever has found its star in Trendard. On the previous show he helped the candy cane girls with fabulous choreography for a Christmas-themed funeral dance. This season he has already outdone himself by not only wearing some stunning golden tights, he also completely transformed into a golden Greek Olympian to carry the torch for Ronnie Ray Smith’s funeral.

TLC

Funeral home worker Trendard is a vision in gold as he carries the torch.

Dallas’ Golden Gate Funeral Home knows how to put the “fun” in funeral and thankfully TLC gives us a chance to be witnesses from the comfort of our homes. I wonder what we’ll see next week when Best Funeral Ever returns on Monday at 9 p.m.

What are your thoughts on these unusual funerals? Do you think it’s too much or is it OK to send off a loved one with these type of celebrations?

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News, reviews, nuggets and tidbits from the world of pop culture, including movies, music, TV, local and national celebrities.